The Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, announced today, Friday, via the Telegram application, that two of the Israeli hostages held in the Gaza Strip were killed as a result of an Israeli airstrike on Rafah city a few days ago.
A senior official in the Palestinian Hamas movement stated in an interview with CNN that any agreement to release the Israeli hostages must include guarantees of a permanent ceasefire and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
Osama Hamdan, a spokesperson for the movement, said in an interview with the network that “no one has any idea” about the number of Israeli hostages still alive in Gaza. After the release of four hostages in a complex Israeli operation a week ago in the Nuseirat camp, many questions arose about the fate of the remaining hostages, whose number is estimated at 120 people, and who are of great importance for any future agreement between Hamas and Israel to end the ongoing war in Gaza for more than eight months.
The surprise attack launched by Hamas on October 7 on southern Israel from the Gaza Strip resulted in the death of 1,194 people on the Israeli side, most of whom were civilians, according to official Israeli data. Conversely, the retaliatory Israeli military campaign devastated the Gaza Strip and killed more than 37,230 Palestinians, most of whom were civilians, according to data from the Ministry of Health in the Hamas government.
Since the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on southern Israel, the situation with hostages has been a major focal point in the ongoing conflict. Hamas militants captured around 240 individuals during the initial incursion. These hostages include a significant number of civilians, among them children, women, and elderly, as well as soldiers and foreign nationals from countries such as the United States, Thailand, and Nepal.
In a series of exchanges under a temporary ceasefire agreement, Hamas has released over 80 hostages, mostly women and minors, in return for the release of 180 Palestinian prisoners by Israel. Despite these efforts, approximately 160 hostages remain in captivity, with a considerable portion being Israeli civilians and soldiers. The fate of these hostages is a critical issue in any future negotiations between Israel and Hamas.
The surprise attack on October 7 led to significant casualties and the capture of hostages, which Hamas has used as leverage. Israeli military operations in Gaza have resulted in extensive damage and a high number of casualties, with over 13,300 Palestinians reported dead. The conflict has also displaced three-quarters of Gaza’s 2.2 million residents, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.
Efforts to secure the release of the remaining hostages are ongoing, with the situation being complicated by the demands for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza as conditions for their release. The plight of these hostages and their families remains a deeply emotional and politically charged issue within Israel and the international community.